Having come off The Legend of Zelda's 25 Anniversary, as well as Ocarina of Time 3D and Skyward Sword, I think that it's time to take a stroll down Zelda lane and remember the series' roots as we prepare for the future of Zelda in the eighth generation of gaming. Through a series of blogs, starting with this one, I invite you to take a look at the various things that make Zelda what it is and where it should go in the future.

By the way, this blog will be spoiler free. I'll talk about each game as much as is necessary, but I won't go too far into the plot. For that, I invite you to actually play the games!

Hyrule, the mystical land forged by the world's three goddesses, has been a Zelda staple since its beginnings back in 1986. From dense forests to rolling fields, hot deserts to cold mountaintops, Hyrule has always been a place where just about any type of environment imaginable can exist. With the story of Link, Zelda, and Ganon being tied to this vast land, there's plenty of reason to turn our attention to the many iterations of Hyrule and just how much it has changed throughout the years.

1. The Legend of Zelda

When you start up the game, you find yourself smack in the middle of a strange new land that you initially knew nothing about. You find your sword from a man who gives it to you and you set out for your quest to save a Princess named Zelda from a beast called Ganon. You travel north, braving the wilderness as you are accosted by octopus-like creatures called Octoroks, merman creatures called Zolas, and burrowing monsters called Leevers. You come across a river flowing south and you follow it up to its fountainhead, a giant lake. In the distance, you spy an island with a large, dead tree with a hole leading into it. Fighting your way through the relentless monsters of the wilds, you cross the bridge to the island and enter the tree out of curiosity. You made it through hell, or so you thought, as you step deeper into the tree and discover a new horde of creatures waiting to take your life.

Welcome to Hyrule.

This was the gaming world's first experience in Hyrule, an unforgettable one that has obviously left an impression in the hearts and minds of many gamers and continues to do so over 20 years later. In this prototype of Hyrule, we traveled through confusing forests, crept through graveyards, crossed rivers and seas, and scaled rugged mountains as we fought to save the princess of a kingdom overran by hordes of Ganon's monsters. Looking back now, the experience is not quite as intense now as I earlier described it, but there's no denying the impact in gaming this new land called Hyrule made in gaming.

2. Zelda II: Adventure of Link

Following The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II made many improvements over the variety in what could be found in Hyrule. For starters, the scope was expanded to an even greater scale than what was presented in the first game. In fact, the world is more than two times the size of the first game! More locales were also added as well, from wading in swamplands to taking a rest in a nearby town. Interestingly enough, the sages from Ocarina of Time are named after the towns in this game (or if you follow the timeline, the towns were named after the sages). Towns were a necessary inclusion to Hyrule. It gave the land a sense of life that the first iteration of Hyrule notably lacked (though the official maps seem to point to the fact that most of the kingdom was focused north of the original game's setting).

There were also numerous locations in Hyrule that could be stumbled upon and explored for its secrets (from hidden locations in a wooded area, to secret caves that could be located). The dungeons were also more numerous and in-depth this time around as well. Everything that was good about the first game's Hyrule was made even better in this game.

3. A Link to the Past

A Link to the Past started a trend that would continue from that point on in Zelda games: it presented a new Hyrule, unrelated to the first two games. Having made its debut on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Hyrule was looking better and more vivid than ever before. Trees looked like trees, most people in the game had unique character sprites, the enemies were more animated, rather than just sliding or bouncing images, the water flowed like it never had before; it was like playing Zelda for the first time all over again. In addition to all of the vast visual improvements, the exploration was near-seamless. Kakariko Village (the only town in the game) was not just an icon on the map, but a place that you could walk through and out of with no transition but the screen moving to the next section.

Another new thing that A Link to the Past brought to the table was the inclusion of the Dark World, a "B-side" of Hyrule, if you will. It was Hyrule, but covered in darkness, with various locales changed to something different or just completely destroyed altogether. Exploring it for the first time is a dramatic experience, starting with the fact that you begin your journey there atop a massive pyramid in the location that Hyrule Castle used to be. It was quite a sight to behold.

The sounds of the game made Hyrule come even more alive than ever before as well. From the sound of the crashing rain and the booming thunder in the opening sequence, to the splashing water and slight echo you hear when traveling through the tunnel under Hyrule Castle, everything sounds more real and more present than it ever has in that game, up to that point. Sure, Hyrule was downsized from the colossal offering in Zelda II, but it more than made up for it in sheer beauty and the great number of locales waiting to be explored.

4. Ocarina of Time

Following in A Link to the Past's footsteps, Ocarina of Time presented its own version of Hyrule; this time, it was brought to us in 3D. Hyrule had become a vast, vertical, and deep world with a new variety of people to see, things to do, and places to explore -- all in a never-before-seen perspective that wowed anyone who took a step into the new Hyrule of Zelda. Hyrule had forests, filled with fireflies that flew about, green fields with a breathtaking view of the wide blue sky, a tall and rigorous mountain that begged to be scaled, a deep lake with a secret, a society within the veil of a waterfall, and a hot desert, with a fortress at its helm. Everything that the previous game set out to do was exacted upon with this Hyrule. Nearly everything felt alive, from the many strange characters to the often frightening enemies you encounter along the way.

Further carrying A Link to the Past's torch, Ocarina of Time featured a similar concept to the Dark World. The difference was that rather going to an alternate version of Hyrule, you travel in time to a future version of Hyrule in which Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule. The awe-inspiring first steps out of the Temple of Time and into a ruined Castle Town was a powerful welcoming statement and set the tone for what to expect from then on out. Though the rest of Hyrule was not as drastically altered like the Castle and its town were, Ganondorf's reign is felt in all corners of Hyrule nonetheless.

In retrospect, what Ocarina of Time's Hyrule gained visually, it lost in content. Monsters were no longer waiting to kill you at every corner of the land like the previous installments and there were less curious places of interest to explore this time around. Despite that, this Hyrule was a successful step into the world of 3D, one that many games from then on would look to as a standard for game design.

5. Wind Waker

Taking place after Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker did something different with Hyrule. Rather than having it in its full glory, you eventually discover that Hyrule has been submerged under a vast ocean by the goddesses, in reaction to Ganon's uprising prior to the game. What was left behind for us were the islands of the Great Sea, a vast, uncharted region of the ocean that waited for us to explore it. From rural islands to islands with whole communities, hot volcanoes to cold icebergs surrounding another, the varieties of islands were numerous and begged to be explored. The sea was enormous, taking many hours to sail through all of it. The weather effects helped bring to life the world of the Great Sea as well, from the thunderstorms that would often happen as you sail around, to the cloudy skies that would occur. Sometimes you could hear and see thunder in the distance without actually being in the storm. And to top it all off was the ability to look into the night sky and make out constellations with your telescope.

While Hyrule proper was no longer there, Nintendo left a nice nod to the former land with a brilliant surprise that occurs midway through the story. I won't spoil it if you haven't played it, but it's one of the most memorable moments in the series.

All-in-all, it was a refreshing take on the world of Zelda. It took Hyrule as we had known it and challenged us to rethink our ideas about it, whether Hyrule defined a specific place or an ideal, whether it had to be a vast land or a great ocean. Of all of the changes to Hyrule, The Wind Waker made the biggest change, one that still resonates in the series even today.

6. Four Swords Adventures

After taking a hiatus through a few games, Hyrule-proper makes a comeback with Four Swords Adventures. Again, as with its predecessors, Hyrule is again changed for this new game, featuring most of the staple landmarks, but in a different way. What made this iteration of Hyrule markedly different was that exploration was done in self-contained sections. Rather than traveling from one place to the next as was how it was done before, you had to select from the map where you wanted to go and then you would be there to start your mission in that location. Hyrule looked more reminiscent of A Link to the Past this time around, with much of the visual representation of Hyrule being the same, though with a greater degree of flourishes than its predecessor.

7. Minish Cap

Returning once again to the realm of 2D, we come again to Hyrule, though a new iteration, of course. Curiously, certain trademark locations like Death Mountain and the desert are not present, though others like Lake Hylia still remain. Certain terrain features like swamps in the Castor Wilds make a return from earlier games like Zelda II, in addition to new places, most notably the Cloud Tops, where the Wind Tribe resides (as well as a dungeon).

What set this version of Hyrule apart was the ability to explore certain areas in a size no larger than an insect. Suddenly, the least of the enemies become some of the greatest of them (like the ChuChu boss in the first dungeon) and a small area becomes like a miniature world in itself. Exploring all of the nooks of Hyrule was made much more interesting as a result.

8. Twilight Princess

After over half a decade, Hyrule makes its return to 3D with Twilight Princess, and it was bigger than before. Like Zelda II did for The Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess did for Ocarina of Time in terms of sheer scope and exploration. Hyrule reached far and wide, making it a requirement to travel by horseback to get from one point to the next in the game in a timely fashion. Not only was Hyrule more vast, but the locales were even more exotic than before, with Death Mountain even more perilous and fiery than before, Lake Hylia being as large as it's ever been, the desert being wide and hot, and a new mountainous locale with weather cold enough to chill anyone with just the sight of it. All of it was gorgeously refined from its predecessor and all of it was more explorable than ever, with plenty of hidden grottos, extra challenges, and strange people to find and help.

And continuing in the tradition started by A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess introduced the Twilight Realm, a strange space that turned the people of Hyrule into mere ghosts and allowed frightening dark creatures to roam the world at will. While things were not drastically different as was the case in A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, it certainly was not a normal space whenever you ventured into it.

9. Spirit Tracks

Whereas previous versions of Hyrule were essentially remixes of the original Hyrule, Spirit Tracks was literally a new Hyrule altogether. Building off of the legacy of the story of The Wind Waker, Spirit Tracks showed off the Hyrule that Link and Zelda originally set out to establish. While the location is different, there are some thematic similarities to past iterations of Hyrule, such as the volcano of the Fire Realm (complete with Goron inhabitants), and the new Lost Woods of the Forest Realm. Other places like the Ocean Realm hark back to the original version of Hyrule, right down to the spacial location on the map.

Hyrule was brought to the third dimension on a handheld for the first time with this game, and the result was pretty impressive. While it maintained a top-down view, for the most part, during the exploration sequences, the scenery was truly remarkable while riding the train around Hyrule, viewing the impressively tall structures that you'd encounter in the game, the amazing draw distances of certain objects (like the ever-visible Tower of Spirits), and the variety of the locales.

10. Skyward Sword

With the latest game in the series, the story winds back the clocks to a time before any of the other games. We are invited to explore a Hyrule that had been uninhabited by Hylians for many years. In the intro sequence, we learn that a powerful legion of monsters rose up and terrorized the land of Hyrule until the Goddess Hylia stepped in and sealed away the leader of the monsters. After that, she took a plot of land and placed it in the sky and moved the few remaining inhabitants of Hyrule onto it to live above a shroud of clouds that covered Hyrule. At the start of the game, Hyrule is a foreign concept to everyone, including Link and Zelda. They only think that an endless oblivion lies below the clouds. However, they soon discover a vast ancient land that had remained untouched by Hylians for eons.

Unlike most iterations of Hyrule, this one is reminiscent of the original Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda, with the fact that few people inhabit the actual land of Hyrule. There are some creatures here and there, and an old lady that helps Link, but there are no towns or any proper societies. Hyrule is a wild and dangerous place. Spatially, most of Hyrule's landmarks are about the same as in most versions of Hyrule, with the desert being to the west, the volcano being to the north, and the forest being in the southern area. The lake of this game, named Lake Floria, is placed similarly to it's location in A Link to the Past.

What was most interesting about this Hyrule was the idea of it existing not as a Kingdom, but as a wild, untamed land in recovery from the ravaging it endured from the evil that once overran it. You don't see any castles, no villages, or any of the usual sites, but you do see remnants of a society that once lived. From Faron Woods to Lanayru Desert, you see the ruins of great structures that the inhabitants build long ago. It's a sobering look at what Hyrule could become if evil ever had its way with it.

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What is most noticeable when one looks at the different iterations of Hyrule is how different the land can be from game-to-game. There are various theories out there, such as the fact that the Kingdom perhaps switches locations from game-to-game, or maybe that different locales appear as time changes the land, or even that the the stories, being "legends", are told by an unreliable narrator, and thus the changes to Hyrule reflect that. Of course, it all could change on the basis of game design. Whatever the case may be, there's no denying the level of depth and history that Hyrule has gained over the course of 25 years. In all of gaming, there truly is no game world with quite the story to tell like the one Hyrule does. As we look on to the future of Zelda, one can't help but wonder where the series will go from here. As outlined in the recently released Hyrule Historia, many of the gaps in the timeline have been filled. Will Nintendo create a Hyrule that goes beyond the last games in the timeline, will they fit in another game between games, or will they decide completely reboot the series? Now that they've hit the 25 year mark, a reboot is not out of the question. Wherever Nintendo decides, you can bet we haven't seen the last of Hyrule.

Having come off The Legend of Zelda's 25 Anniversary, as well as Ocarina of Time 3D and Skyward Sword, I think that it's time to take a stroll down Zelda lane and remember the series' roots as we prepare for the future of Zelda in the eighth generation of gaming. Through a series of blogs, starting with this one, I invite you to take a look at the various things that make Zelda what it is and where it should go in the future.

By the way, this blog will be spoiler free. I'll talk about each game as much as is necessary, but I won't go too far into the plot. For that, I invite you to actually play the games!

Since Ocarina of Time, sidekicks have been a series mainstay, functioning as aids to help the player along when he doesn't know what to do, as characters that have stock in the story, and as Link's voice, for most situations. From fairies, to talking hats, to ghosts, Link has had a diverse ensemble of helpers in his journeys to save Hyrule. Let's begin by exploring the most iconic of sidekicks:

1. Navi

Everyone who first played Ocarina of Time back in 1998 remembers that legendary sequence in which Navi flew forth from the Great Deku Tree and navigated through Kokiri Village to find Link and saying "Hello". That was our introduction to Link's ever-faithful partner. Charged by the Great Deku Tree, she was to guide Link throughout his destined journey to save Hyrule from Ganondorf's plot. To that end, she stayed by your side, informing you of what you should do when you're stuck, giving you ideas on what to do next, and information about enemies you would fight, as well as marking them for you to clearly see and fight (Z-targeting).

The fact that she gave so much help was nice, but to many gamers, she is over-zealous about her duty. She often bombarded players with her hints and ideas, shouting "Hey!", "Listen!", and so on so that you would pay attention to her. Her speech was nice touch, but Nintendo got a little too carried away with it, causing her to be labeled often as annoying.

1. Tatl

Following after her predecessor, Navi, Tatl served the same gameplay purpose of aiding Link with various bits of information throughout the course of the game. However, unlike Navi, Tatl was circumstantially forced to be Link's partner in the game until they mutually agreed to work together to save the world of Termina. Also unlike Navi, Tatl had quite a feisty attitude, often remarking in sarcasm to whatever Link did or ridiculing him (you) for not knowing about an enemy or how to do a certain action. However, over the course of the story, she mellows out and learns to like Link (perhaps ever more than like...). Tatl was the beginning of the trend towards Link's partners having more presence in the game's story.

As mentioned, she aided Link much in the same way that Navi did, only Nintendo toned her down from Navi, having Tatl help you very sparsely, leaving you to your own devices much of the time. Tatl would often not be of much help in the case of enemies that previously occured in Ocarina of Time, giving a sarcastic remark for your supposed ignorance. In addition, her speech resembled the sound of a Triangle being rung, rather than actual speech, making her more tolerable to hear when she had something to say.

3. King of the Red Lions

For Wind Waker, Link no longer had a partner that physically followed him. Rather, his new sidekick was a talking boat, the King of the Red Lions. When you were riding him, he would talk to you if you needed something from him or if he had something to say about a certain thing. When away from him, he would contact you by way of your Gossip Stone that you received from Tetra in the game. Unlike his predecessors, the King of the Red Lions played an integral part in the game's story. For spoiler reasons, I won't say what his role is, but it is quite a memorable surprise, as well as how it plays out.

As far as what he brought to gameplay goes, he was even further toned down from the N64 days of Navi and Tatl, rarely ever offering you help. He would remind you of your task at hand when traveling from one place to the next, however, he did not often help when you were in a dungeon and you could not call for his help like you could in the previous two games. Furthermore, he did not provide information on any enemies you fought.

4. Ezlo

Carrying on the torch for Link talking to inanimate objects was Minish Cap with Ezlo, the talking hat. There is a reason for the hat being alive, but it's a major plot point that I won't spoil. Link happens upon him in the forest and they become partners in trying to stop Vaati's schemes in the story. He had a cranky personality, similar to Tatl's, but with more of a Cranky Kong flavor.

Unlike the King of the Red Lions, Ezlo was physically with Link through the game (as his head gear), meaning that he was more available for on-the-spot advice, which he gave with much scorn when you needed it. He aided with hints about where to go next or what you should do if you found yourself stuck in a certain situation.

5. Midna

In Twilight Princess, Link's sidekick possessed the largest role in the game's story out of every other sidekick in the series. The game itself was even named after her. Midna appeared throughout the length of the game as an impish creature of the Twilight Realm. She finds Link as a wolf, locked up in a cell and agrees to help him, but only on the basis that he cooperates with her to help her complete her own goals. Like Ezlo and Tatl, she had a sharp tongue, constantly insulting and trolling Link for much of the game. Over time, her and Link grow to be close friends (some may think more than close friends).

Her in-game aid was much like that of Ezlo. She helped you find out what you should do next, gave you hints for progressing further when you were stuck and such, although she was much less help than Ezlo was, often just giving sarcastic remarks or being vague with her help. She followed you on your back while in the Twilight Realm when you were a wolf and stayed in your shadow when you were in the regular world.

Midna turned out to be a pretty popular character among Zelda fans, even gaining fan clubs vouching for her return in future games. She turns out to be the most complete of Link's sidekicks in the series as a character, but so much so that some fans dislike her, saying that she even took the spotlight over Link as far as the focus of the story went.

6. Ciela

Ciela was a clear blast-from-the-past to Navi from nearly ten years before Phantom Hourglass. Her character design is exactly Navi's, although her role in the story is different. Finding Link on the beach one day, she helps him out on his quest to find Tetra and in defeating the evil entity, Bellum. Ciela is also no normal fairy. She is able to power Link's sword to have different effects. In addition, she acts as the game's cursor (for the touch screen) and offers hints as needed throughout the game.

7. Zelda

Surprisingly, the series' often elusive namesake is Link's partner this time around. Having lost her mortal coil, Zelda is left in a ghostly form that only Link and a select other few can see. She and Link work together over the course of the story to regain her body and defeat Malladus. She often would take the form of a Phantom Knight to aid Link when they were in the Tower of Spirits, fighting with him, and aiding him in puzzle-solving. As a result of being so involved with Link, this Zelda is perhaps the most personal version in the whole series.

Zelda, unlike most sidekicks, did not offer much aid to Link through his journey. She would remind him of what he should do and point out things every once in awhile, but she was generally as knowledgeable as Link was about the world. But more than any other sidekick, she aided Link in battle in many sections of gameplay, often tag-teaming to defeat a foe or a boss.

8. Fi

Being that Skyward Sword was released on the 25th Anniversary of Zelda, it was fitting that Fi's role in the story was similar to Navi's, the series' first sidekick. Fi was created specifically by the Goddess Hylia to be Link's helper as he fulfilled his destiny as Hyrule's first hero. Though she was like a spirit, her personality was like a humanoid robot, giving Link various bits of information in a dry manner along with percentages for the chances of a certain thing occurring. She also had no emotions to speak of, merely functioning as Link's "smart-sword" (she was Link's sword, after all).

Fi was a sidekick that acted more like a catalyst in a chemical reaction than the main reactant, like some of the series' other sidekicks have been. Whenever she appeared, it was to move the plot along or to help the player figure out his way forward. She was an accessory to the story rather than one of the main players.

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After eight games, it's pretty fair to say that sidekicks in Zelda are as much of a series staple as having a green-clad hero be the main protagonist of each game. They have served in many roles, from playing accessory to the gameplay, to being a major mover of the plot. Yet, it's curious to look back to the SNES and the NES and see how none of those games featured a sidekick. In every game, Link journeyed alone. One likely reason why this changed with Ocarina of Time was probably the fact that Nintendo had to create a way to aid players as they played through the first 3D adventure game of its kind. Before Ocarina of Time there wasn't really a game with such an open world that players had to explore. These days, playing in a 3D space is no big deal. However, in 1998 and before that, a game like Ocarina of Time might as well have been the Elder Scrolls V of its day. With a game so huge, many first-time players would feel overwhelmed as they attempted to figure out on their own where they were supposed to go and what they should do next. And so, Navi was born. Her primary function in the game was to help the player find out where to go next or what to do next (Navi = Navigation). Even her role in the story was relegated to helping Link navigate through the world.

Naturally, Majora's Mask followed the same convention, with much of its gameplay being a carry-over of Ocarina of Time. Of course, with Navi out of the picture, they needed a new guide, and Tatl was born. As game design progressed, the need for a Navi-like character disappeared. And yet, with Tatl, Nintendo realized how much extra Link having a sidekick brought to the story, and continued the tradition. As I discussed in the previous edition, Link's lack of a voice has caused his character to be rather flat at times. Where Link refuses to talk, his sidekicks do the talking for him, explaining to certain characters something that Link could have explained if he talked. They also gave Link someone to interact with, most notably in Twilight Princess with Midna.

As we look to the future, it's worth giving thought to whether or not Link will fight again with another sidekick. With the Wii U's new style of playing, it's not hard to imagine a sidekick that is built around whatever mechanic the developers would create for use with the Wii U gamepad. At the same time, it would be interesting to see how Link does on his own after spending the last fourteen years fighting with others. How would a lone-Link be developed over the course of the story if he journeyed alone? Would he obtain a voice? Or perhaps he would communicate through his thoughts, as he has sparsely done. Either way, the future of Zelda is an exciting one.

Having come off The Legend of Zelda's 25 Anniversary, as well as Ocarina of Time 3D and Skyward Sword, I think that it's time to take a stroll down Zelda lane and remember the series' roots as we prepare for the future of Zelda in the eighth generation of gaming. Through a series of blogs, starting with this one, I invite you to take a look at the various things that make Zelda what it is and where it should go in the future.

By the way, this blog will be spoiler free. I'll talk about each game as much as is necessary, but I won't go too far into the plot. For that, I invite you to actually play the games!

To start things off, it seems appropriate to address the character of the series with the most screen time of them all: Link. Since 1986, he has been one of gaming's most recognizable fantasy heroes and one of Nintendo's top-bill characters in their catalog. Link is one of the prime definitions of the "silent protagonist", being so for the entirety of his existence ("Come on!" in Wind Waker does not count). Every edition of Link consitently features him wearing a green tunic of some fashion, coupled with a green cap, boots, and a shield and a sword. Every version of him also has him play a role as the protector or savior of his respective Hyrule or some other land in which he stumbles upon. He is a truly enduring icon in video games, but among Zelda fandom, there are clearly certain Links that are favored among others. Let's explore each of them.

1. The Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link

This original version of Link was a very cut-and-dried character. His primary goal was to save Princess Zelda from Ganon and thereby save the Kingdom of Hyrule as well. He quested across the vast landscape of Hyrule to assemble the fractioned Triforce so that he could confront Ganon at Death Mountain and do justice to him. In the second installment to the series, we once again find Link battling the minions of Ganon as they attempt to revive their fallen leader. He is also charged with awakening a sleeping Princess Zelda from her everlasting slumber. Beyond what we learn from the manuals and title screen, very little is known about the actual character that is Link in these games.

2. A Link to the Past,Link's Awakening, and Oracle of Seasons/Ages

In the third game of the series, a new Link is introduced to us for the first time. The major difference between the first Link and this one is the hair color. This Link has blond hair, a trademark that will continue to persist throughout the rest of the series. Unlike the original Link, this one is given a form of family by having an uncle who is a knight of Hyrule. And unlike the first Link, this one stumbled into his role to save Hyrule rather than appearing out of nowhere to fight. While this edition of Link is given some modest backstory, we don't have much else to go off of as far as his character goes, outside of an inferred sense of duty to Hyrule and the Princess and later his desire to solve the mystery behind his predicament in Link's Awakening. Also, according to the recently released book from Nintendo, Hyrule Historia, the Link in the Oracle of Seasons and Ages games is also the same one that premiered in A Link to the Past.

3. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask

Once more, after about two games, Nintendo gives us a new Link for an all new generation of gaming. This edition of Link is perhaps the most iconic of all of them, being that he is from the highly acclaimed Ocarina of Time. The differences between this Link and the last is that, as an adult, he wears tights, compared to nothing at all like before. He also wears a tight-fitting undershirt and wears gauntlets to give him more of a warrior look than before. In addition, his hair style is changes as well. The child version of this Link looks reminiscent of his predecessor, however.

Being that the series is displayed in the third dimension for the first time, we are able to see more of Link's facial expressions and his non-verbals whenever he is in a cutscene. Still as silent as ever, we never hear a word from him, but we get to see his various reactions to different characters. We also see how Link respects his fellow man in Majora's Mask as he goes through every length possible to brighten the days of as many people as he is able to.

4. Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass

This iteration of Link is perhaps the most shocking and drastic of changes that Link has ever seen. With the Spaceworld demo of the Legend of Zelda, fans expected a Link that followed in the third-generation Link's footsteps; however, Nintendo showed that such was not to be the case. This version of Link was highly stylized, featuring a cartoonish flavoring unlike that of any other Link. His coloring was very bold and bright and his face was big and expressive. He still sported the famous green garments of his predecessors and carried on the tights, but the overall style was so different that he could not be matched up 1:1 with any other version of Link.

This Link has a more firm background set in place for him than his predecessors. We learn of his family (consisting of his grandma and sister), we see his devotion to his sister, and his kinship towards Tetra/Zelda. We also note some aspects of his personality, due to his vigorous facial expressions and non-verbal communication. However, he still is silent throughout both games, just as the rest have been.

5. Minish Cap, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and Spirit Tracks

All four of these games feature different Link's although they all bear the same design as the Link from Wind Waker. The only major difference is that the Link from Spirit Tracks wears a train conductor's outfit for part of the story.

Again, Nintendo makes progressive strides toward making Link a more fuller character, despite not giving him the gift of speech. Minish Cap Link has a close friendship with Zelda and has a grandfather (although he is not featured in the story much). Spirit Tracks actually has him and Zelda actively developing a relationship with each other throughout the course of the game, unfolding in a more complete way than what had been seen up to that point in the series. The Link's of which we know little about are the Four Swords Adventures Link and the Four Swords Link (though the story was de-emphasized for the sake of gameplay).

6. Twilight Princess

In a memorable moment, Nintendo revealed to the world it's newest Zelda game and Link for Twilight Princess. Many fans rejoiced and even cried as Link was showcased with an all-new, darker look. His design echoes back to the time of Ocarina of Time, featuring an adult (or at least late-teen) Link with the familiar green outfit. However, his look was updated with looser, thicker pants, chain mail, and pouches attached to his belt, making him look like a more rugged warrior than before. His hairstyle was a mix of Ocarina of Time Link and A Link to the Past Link.

This Link is more characterized than even the Wind Waker Link. Although he has no known family, he has a strong bond with the village children, who look at him as a role model figure. He also has a close (almost romantic) bond with Ilia (a village girl who is kidnapped early on), and he and Midna (the game's sidekick character) also develop strong relationship, though rocky at first. Though he shows a deep care and duty towards all of these characters, he still remains silent, even after all of the efforts to move his character forward.

7. Skyward Sword

And finally, our latest version of the 25 year-old hero. Interestingly enough, Link didn't start out looking this way. Back at E3 2009, Link was first shown in a style that resembled Twilight Princess. It wasn't until E3 2010 that we were reintroduced to Link as we see him in the final game. Like the debate about Link's change that sparked during the pre-release of Wind Waker, the debate was on once more as people came to terms with what has been described as a cross between the two styles of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Some were disappointed in the change, having originally taken to the continuation of Link's Twilight Princess style, while others welcomed the new take. Undeniably, the new style again caused a split in the fanbase as some viewed the game as catering to children rather than more mature tastes. Others still enjoyed the refreshing watercolors that the game's graphics engine sported.

Continuing on the foundations laid by its predecessors, Nintendo continued to develop Link, this time by again placing him as Zelda's childhood friend. From the beginning, there is an obvious romance developing between the two of them and it serves as a motivation for Link leaving home to search the unknown for Zelda when she is taken. Link also has to contend with a bully named Groose -- a situation that develops in an interesting manner between the two of them. Again, Link has a wide range of facial expressions non-verbal communication, along with the game giving players the choice of saying certain things in response to certain questions or situations with other characters. Though the answer rarely actually has a significant effect, being able to tailor your response to characters is a new thing to Zelda. And yet, as always, Link never speaks a line of dialog that is heard or read.

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Ever since I first played Ocarina of Time back in 1998 as an eight year-old, I had always been enamored by the world of Zelda. Link always represented, at least to me, the possibilities of an unlikely nobody becoming something great. He was kid that did the impossible. Because of all of this, I have always found it easy to sink into each game and forget that Link was just someone I was moving around with the controller. In a way, I became Link every time I played through a Zelda game. These days, with the technical limitations that used to restrict the scope of games being lifted off, people have come to expect that every game feature full voice acting and all sorts of Hollywood flourishes. The age of the silent protagonist is swiftly coming to an end. Though some modern games still carry the torch of the era, like the Bioshock games and certain entries of the Call of Duty series, most games have moved to giving characters a voice, along with all sorts of ideologies and personalities that will tend to conflict with players.

Such is the case with games like Heavy Rain for example. The game was promoted as a sort of full-fledge story-based game in which you controlled the actions and outcome of its characters. The primary protagonist was Ethan Mars, who was out to find his kidnapped son who would be killed after a certain amount of time if the right things weren't done to find him. Though within the game's rules and options, players were able to act in whatever way the chose and say whatever they wanted to say to other characters. The problem that this freedom presents is the fact that, though the player is behaving how he wants to, it doesn't necessarily mean that the player is behaving how the character would.

In other games, like Call of Duty: Black Ops, players have "control" over protagonist Alex Mason, a SOG operative who is captured by the Russians and is brainwashed unknowingly to carry out a series of assassinations. Though you control him through the game's main action, what he does to affect the story's plot happens with no input from you, along with what he says and thinks. You're ultimately just there for the ride. Rather than being Mason, you are spying on Mason.

While none of this is meant to discredit those games, I'm merely saying that the fact that Link is such a limited character is what makes him so easy to "become." You don't have to deal with the baggage from his past that happened before you took control. You don't get saddled with his worldview. You don't have to deal with the dissonance over your choices versus what he would have done if left alone. Link is your "link" to the world of Zelda. You can take control of him and forget about the fact that you are playing as someone in the game, but rather, you are someone in the game.

Now, should Link become more of a stand-alone character? It's certainly isn't wrong for him to become one, but with Link's emancipation from the player, we must also deal with the fact that we must deal with who Link is, for better or worse. Where will Nintendo take Zelda's hero next? At this point, it is uncertain, but wherever it is, you can bet that Link will always be there to save Hyrule from evil.